The Nemours Foundation offers ideas to get your child active

Date published: 4/23/2006

Kids don't need gyms or regimented exercise programs. They just need activity--from the time they start toddling.

The Nemours Foundation, a leading provider of pediatric care, recommends lots of fun ideas to get started.

Here are some:

Every day, toddlers should get an hour and a half of activity. They shouldn't sit still for more than an hour at a time, except when sleeping, of course.

By age 2, children should be able to walk, run and jump in place. By 3, they're learning to balance, climb, kick, throw balls and pedal a tricycle.

To keep them active, engage them in the following activities:

Explore the backyard or go to a local playground.

Imitate animals. Hop, waddle, soar. Inch across the ground like a worm.

Play "Follow the Leader" and "Ring Around the Rosie."

Turn on the radio and dance.

Four- and 5-year-olds need an hour of adult-led playtime and an hour of unstructured activity every day.

Like toddlers, preschoolers shouldn't be inactive for more than an hour.

Organized sports aren't the best way to get preschoolers active. They can be too structured and overwhelm them. Try these instead:

Play "Duck-Duck-Goose" or "Follow the Leader."

Set up a goal and kick balls back and forth.

Play freeze tag.

Go for a treasure hunt.

Children ages 6 to 12 need an hour of physical activity each day. Breaking it into 15-minute segments works just as well.

This is an age when some kids find they like sports and others discover they don't. For the latter group, alternatives such as the following are important:

Make an after-dinner walk part of your family's routine.

Encourage your child to ride his or her bike, build a fort, or play cops-and-robbers. All these count as exercise.

Explore a local park. Head to the ice rink or batting cage.

For more suggestions, see kids health.org/parent/nutrition_fit.

Date published: 4/23/2006